Best Insert of the Year?

A set that I usually skip out on upon its release each year, Topps Chrome Update takes most of the rookie and All-Star game cards from the base Update set and prints them on gorgeous chrome card stock. Then, they add a couple of insert sets, refractors, and autographs to the mix, releasing the product as a retail-exclusive.

The promise of adding chrome rookie cards from this year's class to my collection intrigued me to test the waters with this release, but the 150 Years of Baseball inserts captivated my attention, even more as quite possibly my favorite part of this set.

Though they weren't the only inserts to be featured in Chrome Update, both the checklist and photography behind this simple set give it a ton of appeal. In Series 1, 2, and Update, I didn't think much of these inserts other than the fact that they'd be great additions to my player collections.

The chrome design, however, elevates these cards to the point where they rank as some of my favorite cards of 2019. The refractor finish on these beautiful cards looks terrific, even more so in-hand rather than in a scanned image.

Just like the standard inserts, the chrome cards pay homage to the greatest players, moments, and seasons in Baseball history with a checklist of ~25 cards. The insert sets from Series 1, 2, and Update, on the other hand, featured much larger checklist sizes, some as high as 150 cards.

The Chrome Update set, however, consists primarily of retired players so that the most noteworthy aspects of Baseball history are showcased. Whereas Update featured players like Alex Bregman and Dwight Gooden, Chrome Update sticks to HOF legends like Cal Ripken Jr and Rickey Henderson.

Another benefit of having the checklist be mostly retired players is that I can add these gorgeous cards to my player collections, though I might want to build the insert set and keep them all together instead.

From gold tier PCs like George Brett to recently-created ones like Tony Gwynn, the set features a wide range of Baseball's brightest stars. I have not, however, found a checklist for 2019 Topps Chrome Update, so I have no clue who's in this set aside from the handful of players whose cards I pulled.

The beauty of this set, moreover, is that the images could be from present-day, the early decades of the 20th century, or any year in-between. Simply put, Topps did an excellent job with this entire set, so much so that I was able to justify the $20 per mega box of 28 cards.

Hank Aaron's card, for instance, looks like something you'd see out of Stadium Club. The background, on the other hand, features a player wearing the #4, though I can't tell if there's another number after it that the photo cropped out.

Assuming that the player does wear #4, it's probably Danny O'Connell or Red Schoendienst, for they were the only Milwaukee Braves players to wear #4 during Aaron's career before the team relocated to Atlanta in 1966.

One of the first 150 Years chrome inserts that I pulled was Mike Trout, presumably the only active player on the checklist. For a while, it was his card that captivated me more so than any of the others. 

There's just something so special about how this refractor looks in person and how the rainbow shines and pairs with his red home uniform. 

At this point, given his accomplishments and stat line, it's far from a hot take to declare Trout one of the game's greatest players, though he has more work to do if he wants to keep climbing the list.

As much as I absolutely love the Mike Trout card, Babe Ruth's greatest moments insert may go down as my favorite card of 2019. The black and white photo, in person, with the chrome refractor finish, is truly indescribable. I almost have to take a picture of the card to showcase just how beautiful it is.

I'm not sure whether Topps has used this photo of Ruth in the past, but even if they have, they did an excellent job of repurposing the image for this card. 

Upon pulling this card out of one of the packs, I concluded that the 150 Years of Baseball insert from 2019 Topps Chrome Update can sufficiently rank as one of the greatest insert sets of the year.

The Ruth insert, moreover, might just be my pick for the card of the year.

A 1-Card Red Sox PC Pickup

Today's post is going to be a quick one, but it definitely holds true to the idea of quality over quantity.

This post could've been a card show recap featuring a huge stack of dime cards or a blaster box from a recently-released product. However, while he was visiting the cape over the weekend, it was my Dad who picked up this '64 Topps Tony Conigliaro rookie card, a fabulous addition to the Red Sox PC.

Though I worked diligently over the summer to enhance the Cubs and Red Sox collections for additions just like the one above, I typically refrain from purchasing more expensive individual cards that won't go towards one of my player collections.

I can't exactly pinpoint why, but purchasing cards for either of my 2 team PC's isn't really ingrained into my head. Typically, if I am to spend >$5 on a single card, it'll go towards one of my player collections or a set on my want list.

Part of what makes the Conigliaro rookie card special, however, is that I likely wouldn't have bought it if I was visiting the card shop on the cape over the weekend.

One of the most talented young players in the game throughout the mid-1960s, Conigliaro was vital to the Red Sox's success, particularly in the first half of his All-Star 1967 season until he hit by a pitch in the eye and, unfortunately, was never the same.

Another interesting part of not only Conigliaro's rookie stars card but that of every player is researching the player(s) featured alongside the perennial All-Star/Hall of Famer. In this case, that guy is Bill Spanswick who pitched 65 innings with a 6.89 ERA in '64, his sole MLB season.

Back to Conigliaro, it can be easy to forget just how essential and talented of a player he was for several years with the Red Sox. He set records at 20 years of age that paralleled Ted Williams, franchise records that, I believe, Rafael Devers achieved this season.

Now that I have the Red Sox PC organized in a manner that allows me to find any card quickly, I'm more likely to purchase singles for the team collection when visiting a card show or LCS.

It might not have caught my eye had I visited the card shop, but this Tony C rookie is, nonetheless, an excellent addition.

Frankenset Page #69

I plan on getting into the Washington Nationals' historic World Series victory in a blog post later this weekend. For now, however, I'll stick to how impressed I am that in the first year without Bryce Harper, this team made history.

Like I said, there's a lot to get into with the Nationals, and a performance like this is worthy and deserving of its own blog post. Thus, I'll get to them on Saturday or Sunday, and I'll stick to frankenset page #69 today.

Featuring cards #613-621, this page spans 5 decades (the 1970s-2010s) of Baseball history. Without any further adieu, let's begin with #613, a card from earlier this decade.

#613 2011 Topps Dexter Fowler

In hindsight, perhaps giving Dexter Fowler a 5-year $83 million deal wasn't the brightest move that the St. Louis Cardinals could've made following a campaign in which they went 86-76 but missed the playoffs.

Now 33 years old, Fowler's been relegated to a bench role; his 3 seasons in St. Louis thus far have been marred with injuries and an overall decrease in production since making the All-Star team with the Cubs back in 2016.

#614 1990 Fleer Jeff Robinson

Seeing a Tigers logo alone reminds me of how much this team has slipped since the early part of the 2010s when they were one of the most feared teams in the game. Detroit won 90 games 5 years ago in 2014 before losing to the Orioles in the ALDS.

Flashforward to the 2019 MLB season. The Tigers are the worst team in Baseball at 47-114. That's a huge statement, considering that there were 4 teams with 100+ losses this season.

#615 1983 Topps Garry Maddox

For some reason, a ton of Garry Maddox cards come to mind when I think of my favorites from the 80s, and it's not even like he's one of my player collections. First, there's his 1985 Donruss card, now '83 Topps.

Granted, there are a million cards from the '83 set of hitters wearing powder blue uniforms, but there's something about Maddox's that's extra special.

#616 2006 Topps Kenji Johjima

In other news, the Red Sox hired Chaim Bloom, the former Rays senior vice president of baseball operations, to be their new chief Baseball officer, an expansion of the job previously held by Dave Dombrowski.

Bloom will jump directly into a challenging situation with J.D. Martinez and Mookie Betts' respective futures in Boston unsure. Dombrowski, on the other hand, likely won't find a job as high up in an organization as president of baseball ops given how he left Boston.

#617 1980 Topps Joaquin Andujar

Long before they moved to the American League and won a World Series, the Houston Astros had some incredibly talented teams towards the end of the 1970s and early 1980s.

Led by guys like Cesar Cedeno, J.R. Richard, and Joaquin Andujar, the teams, in one way or another, are reminiscent of the perennial championship-contending squad of the late 2010s. However, they weren't able to capture the Fall Classic title until many decades later.

#618 1983 Topps LaMarr Hoyt

In last week's frankenset post, I remember mentioning the White Sox uniforms, introduced during the mid-1980s, with "SOX" spelled in large letters on the front of the jersey.

More so than most MLB teams, the White Sox have had a surplus of different uniforms, so I never know what to expect when I stumble upon one of their cards from the 70s or 80s. Along with the red stripes, I'd rank this uniform as one of my favorites in the team's history.

#619 2008 Topps Heritage Blake DeWitt

Though Topps Heritage, for me, isn't as impressive or desirable as it once was, the on-point recreations of iconic Flagship designs have remained impressive, from 2001 all the way to 2019.

The 2008 Heritage design paid homage to the 1959 Topps set, one of my top 15 favorites of all-time. It was refreshing to see Topps utilize the design once again in 2019 Topps Archives with new names and better photography.

#620 1971 Topps Frank Howard

It's very fitting that, following the Nationals' World Series win, my frankenset page features a card of Frank Howard, a member of the Washington Senators, the last team to play in the nation's capital before the Expos became the Nats in 2005.

Aside from Walter Johnson, Howard may just be the most recognizable player in Senators' history. He made 4 All-Star game appearances in Washington and finished top 5 in MVP voting twice before the team relocated to Texas.

#621 1988 Donruss Donnie Moore

Last up, an alright card from 1988 Donruss which, given the set design, is as good as you can hope for. I love the Angels uniform above as it reminds me of guys like Rod Carew from the early and mid-1980s.

If only it was accompanied by a better base set design, this card could emerge as one of my favorites of the page.

Top 5 Cards; Alex Bregman

Hopefully, soon after I finish writing this blog post, the 2019 World Series Champions, whether it's the Washington Nationals or Houston Astros, will be crowned.

At the top of the 7th inning, the Astros are leading 2-0 following an RBI single by Carlos Correa and a solo home run by Yuli Gurriel back in the 2nd inning. The highly-anticipated Scherzer vs Greinke pitching matchup has delivered a close game thus far, but there are a million things that could happen over the next few innings.

For instance, as I finished the previous paragraph, Anthony Rendon hit a solo shot for Washington, cutting the lead down to 2-1 with 1 out in the 7th.

Admittedly, my schedule simply hasn't allowed for me to watch much of the Fall Classic whatsoever.

*Update, Howie Kendrick just gave the Nationals a 3-2 lead with a 2-run homer to right field (off the foul pole) off Astros reliever Will Harris. Hopefully, the commercial break allows me to get through this intro without any more action.

Anyways, if Washington holds onto their lead and ends up World Series Champions for the first time in franchise history, I totally envision NL MVP candidate Anthony Rendon taking home the World Series MVP honors.

If Houston rallies and wins it all for the 2nd time in 3 years, AL MVP candidate Alex Bregman will likely win the award.

The respective performances of Rendon and Bregman, arguably the two greatest 3rd baseman at the moment, has made for a thrilling postseason, particularly while they've faced off in the Fall Classic.

One of the newest additions to my player collection list, I've only been collecting cards of Alex Bregman for roughly a month.

The Bregman cards in my collection before I began collecting him make up most of the 21 cards, though I envision coming across more and more at the card show in the future.

Usually, I'd wait until I've been collecting a player for many months or years before formulating a top 5 cards list, but the timing of this post was just too perfect.

#5 2017 Topps Stadium Club

Stadium Club and Archives never fail to produce some incredible cards which is why they appear so frequently on my top 5 cards posts, and the Bregman countdown is no exception. I guess my decision to hunt down new releases back in 2017 paid off because I have my fair share of Bregman rookies, including this action shot from Stadium Club.

2017 was one of the strongest years for the revived photography-centric set. Though the product still has a certain wow factor associated with it, Stadium Club's popularity piqued a few years back.

#4 2017 Topps Archives

The 2nd Alex Bregman rookie to kick off this countdown, Bregman's 2017 Topps Archives card features an action shot that triumphs over the '17 Stadium Club rookie. The timing of the photo seems like something from Stadium Club rather than Archives, but the pairing with the '92 Topps design is a nice one.

The Astros are currently wearing the same orange uniforms that are on Bregman's card above. The Nationals, on the other hand, are in their alternate blues, a jersey that seems to have given them a fair amount of luck thus far.

#3 2019 Topps Stadium Club

Though the 2019 Topps Stadium Club failed to reach the level of previous releases in the revived brand's abbreviated history, there's a large handful of cards that sincerely impressed me.

Throwback uniforms and ballpark shots don't do as much as they used to for me. Rather, I've been looking for Stadium Club cards on the simple side that, simultaneously, incorporate all my favorite aspects of the popular brand. Bregman's 2019 card definitely fits that bill.

#2 2017 Topps

Bregman's been a fairly well thought of player since his MLB debut back in July of 2016, only 1 year after being drafted #2 by Houston in the 2015 MLB Draft.

It wasn't until last season, however, that Bregman morphed into one of the game's brightest stars, and he's continued to improve all throughout the 2019 season, cementing himself as one of the American League's best alongside Mike Trout.

As a result, this 2017 Alex Bregman rookie is probably a lot more desired than it was 2 years ago. The rookie logo and rookie cup combo is something you don't see very often, so that makes for a pretty interesting card.

*During the time in which I wrote about Bregman's 2017 Topps card, the Nationals scored another run, on a Juan Soto RBI single making the game 4-2. They now have runners on the corners*

#1 2019 Topps Archives

As I previously mentioned, Topps Archives and Stadium Club are essential to almost all of my top 5 cards post recipients, particularly modern players. The products, drastically different in concepts, provide my 2 favorite things to see on a Baseball card; a retro design and/or fabulous photography.

Stadium Club can't use a vintage design, but Archives often has fabulous photography, and Bregman's 2019 Topps Archives card is no exception. The diving grab that he appears to be making in the photo above, in one way or another, resembles something out of the original 1993 Topps set.

Now, with the game heading to the bottom of the 8th, I'm going to take some time to read over this post. After I'm done, I'll (hopefully) watch a World Series Champion be crowned.

By the way, I'm rooting for Washington.